Bilal's classical training at the Mannes Music Conservatory in New York was instrumental to his conversance with Jazz, voice, and big band arrangements. It has also been reported that he is capable of performing opera in seven languages and writes both music and lyrics.
In 1995, Bilal encountered Faulu Mtume, and his brother, Damu Mtume (sons to James Mtume and founders of Moyo Entertainment) at a barber's shop in Philadelphia. His plans to produce film scores was shelved after he handed the brothers a demo recording; they were so impressed that they successfully convinced him to record commercially.
Bilal has also frequently collaborated and performed with several neo-soul and alternative hip hop artists, including Common, Erykah Badu, Talib Kweli, and The Roots. He also covered Radiohead's "High & Dry" for the 2006 Radiohead tribute, Exit Music: Songs With Radio Heads. Bilal appears in Dave Chappelle's Block Party.
His sophomore full-length recording, Love for Sale is rumored to have been shelved after being leaked on the internet. Despite no official release as of yet, Love for Sale has become an underground classic.
In 2010, Bilal released his sophomore album, Airtight's Revenge, 9 years after his debut album. The album was well-received, critics praised his lyrical substance and experimental sound.
Bilal is set to release his 3rd album, A Love Surreal, on February 26, 2013. Bilal explains that the album has a warmer, more acoustic sound compared to his previous works. He released a mixtape leading up to the release in late 2012 called Retrospective of the Man Called Bilal. 6 days after the mixtape was released, he took the wraps off his first single for A Love Surreal, "Back To Love". A video was released the next month. So far, reviews for A Love Surreal are positive, praising Bilal's natural singing talent and lyrics.
Restart
Bilal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Drank too much
Let our emotions play
Out of touch
I'll go outside
And watch it rain
I'll go outside
I'll be outside
Coolin' off
But no matter how far I roam
I'm comin' home
Have we come too far
To turn it all back around?
Have we come too far
To turn it all back around?
Or is it too late
To start again?
You know I lost my whole direction
But it's you that I want
Traveled the world
Had my fun
But at the end of the day
I still feel lost without you in my world
Is there no remedy
To cure the pain?
Only myself to blame
I'll wear the shame
Oh, so many nights
I stumbled out the bar
Yeah, I think I never made
Made it back home, girl
Have we come too far
To turn it all back around?
Have we come too far
To turn it all back around?
Or is it too late
To start again?
You know I lost my whole direction
But it's you that I want
Traveled the world
And had my fun
But at the end of the day
I still feel lost without you in my world
Have we come too far
To turn it all back around?
Have we come too far
To turn it all back around?
Oh, turn it all around, girl
Oh, turn it all around
I wanna step back over again
Turn it all back around, girl
Or is it too late
To start again?
You know I lost my whole direction
But it's you that I want
Traveled the world
And had my fun
But at the end of the day
I still feel lost without you in my world
Oh, hey
The song Restart by Bilal is a heartfelt ballad about lost love and the desire to start over. The opening lines suggest that both parties have said too much and drank too much, allowing their emotions to get out of control and ultimately driving them apart. The singer then decides to give their partner space and goes outside to watch the rain, hoping to cool off and gain some perspective. However, despite their attempts to move on, they admit that they still feel lost without their partner and wonder if it's too late to start again.
The chorus repeats the idea of whether or not they've come too far to turn things around, while also acknowledging the singer's own mistakes and the pain they've caused. The second verse emphasizes the singer's attempts to find fulfillment without their partner, traveling the world and having fun, but ultimately feeling unfulfilled and lost without them. The song ends with a plea to turn things around and a repetition of the desire to start over.
Overall, the lyrics to Restart capture the complexity of a relationship in crisis and the intense desire to make things work, even when it seems impossible. The verses balance personal responsibility and regret with the pain of lost love, creating a sense of vulnerability and emotional authenticity.
Line by Line Meaning
Seems like we said too much
We have probably talked about our problems too much.
Drank too much
We may have consumed too much alcohol and lost control of our emotions.
Let our emotions play
Our emotions may have taken over and led us to behave irrationally.
Out of touch
We may have lost touch with each other and our feelings because of the situation.
I'll go outside
I need some space from the situation.
And watch it rain
I will contemplate what went wrong while watching the rain fall.
And give you space
I will also give you space to process your feelings and thoughts.
I'll be outside
I will stay outside until I've had enough time to think and reflect on the situation.
Coolin' off
I need to cool off my emotions and thoughts so that I can approach the situation with a clear mind.
But no matter how far I roam
No matter where I go, I can't escape my feelings for you.
I'm comin' home
Eventually, I will come back to you because you are where my heart belongs.
Have we come too far
Maybe we have gone too far with our problems to fix them easily.
To turn it all back around?
Is it even possible to resolve the situation and make things the way they were before?
Or is it too late
Perhaps this situation has gone on for too long to be salvaged.
To start again?
Can we start over and try to make things right?
You know I lost my whole direction
I have lost my way in life and I need you to help me find my path again.
But it's you that I want
Despite everything, I know that I still want you in my life.
Traveled the world
I have gone on adventures and explored new places.
Had my fun
I have had a great time exploring the world, but something is missing.
But at the end of the day
Despite all the excitement and fun, when the day ends, I still feel incomplete.
I still feel lost without you in my world
You are the missing piece in my life, without which I still feel incomplete and lost.
Is there no remedy
I wonder if there is anything that can help fix our situation.
To cure the pain?
Can we find a way to heal the hurt that we have caused each other?
Only myself to blame
I realize that I am partly responsible for the situation and must take ownership of my mistakes.
I'll wear the shame
I am willing to bear the consequence of my actions and will not shy away from my mistakes.
Oh, so many nights
I have spent many nights reflecting on our situation and feeling regretful about the decisions I have made.
I stumbled out the bar
There have been times when I’ve been so consumed by our problems that I have turned to alcohol to help me deal with them.
Yeah, I think I never made
There have been instances when I haven't made it back home after drinking too much at a bar.
Made it back home, girl
I have realized that staying at home with you would have been better for me than going out to bars.
Oh, turn it all around, girl
I want to fix our situation and make things right between us.
I wanna step back over again
I would like to go back to a time when things were good between us and we were truly happy.
Or is it too late
Perhaps the damage is too great and cannot be fixed completely.
You know I lost my whole direction
I am lost without you and need you to help me find my way again.
But it's you that I want
I still love you and only want to be with you.
Oh, hey
This is a casual expression used to end the song.
Contributed by Samuel D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
SN M
Love it!! One of my favorite Bilal tunes<3
Paradise Fitness
Bilal has to me the most underrated!! So talented! Keep doing ya thang bro!
Nickolas Stewart
Love this song!!!
Christian Willis
Love this song !!
Sonny Bravo
Bilal and Dwele are my fav Male R&B artists! Both are SO underrated. Bilal has NEVER made a bad album and it's a decrying shame what happens to Love 4 Sale. Cuz that joint is a masterpiece.
Robert Carter
best of all time !!!!!
Man Dem
Dope!
tomas horvath
+ronnizamov96 folks sleep on this! what a hit, hit me hard:)
Neil DeGrasse Titan
🦁👏
Šakal Atašé
Bilal come to Slovakia to town Bratislava again pls :)